Author Archives: Nely Keinanen

Julia & Romeo; directed by Jussi Nikkilä for the Finnish National Theater in Helsinki, Finland. Adaptation by Anna Viitala based on a translation by Marja-Leena Mikkola. 4 Oct 2018 Reviewed by Nely Keinänen (University of Helsinki) In 2016, the director Jussi Nikkilä did an excellent production of Richard III on one of the smaller stages […]

Hamlet: Koko Totuus [Hamlet: The Whole Truth]. Adaptation by Ville Kurki and ensemble, based on the translation into Finnish by Matti Rossi. Directed by Ville Kurki for Grus Theater, performed at the Turku Castle, Turku, Finland. 1 February, 2017. Reviewed by Nely Keinänen It was a very cold and dark winter night when my two theater […]

Kesäyön uni (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), directed by Esa Leskinen for Ryhmäteatteri, performed at the Suomenlinna Summer Theater, Helsinki, Finland. Date seen: 31 August 2016 Reviewed by Nely Keinänen Just getting to the Suomenlinna Summer Theater is an adventure: first a short ferry from the Helsinki Market Square to the island fortress of Suomenlinna, then […]

Romeo & Julia. Puppet Theater. Directed by Merja Pöyhönen for Aura of Puppets and Tehdas Teatteri. Visiting production at the Oulu City Theater. 20 March 2016 Reviewed by Nely Keinänen This provocative production of Romeo & Julia [Romeo and Juliet] is set in a garbage dump, the kind of garbage dump which is growing […]

MYRSKY [THE TEMPEST], with music by Jean Sibelius; directed by Ville Sandqvist, conducted by Tuomas Hannikainen at the Helsinki Music Center Concert Hall, Helsinki, Finland. 21 November 2015. Reviewed by Nely Keinänen The new concert hall in Helsinki was built for acoustics and not for ease of access: it’s approached from the top, with […]

ROMEO JA JULIA [ROMEO AND JULIET]; directed by Antti Mikkola for the Seinäjoki City Theater, Seinäjoki, Finland. 25 November 2014. Reviewed by Nely Keinänen I like to think of myself as open-minded about Shakespeare, but at heart I suspect I’m a purist—nothing but the text, please. So I found Antti Mikkola’s adaptation of Romeo […]

Juhannusyön uni (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), directed by Jonna Wickström for The Group Theater, Helsinki, Finland. Date seen: 12 November 2014 Reviewed by Nely Keinänen In the fall of 2014, Ryhmäteatteri (The Group Theater) created a Youth Theater program for 15-20 year-olds, whose first production was a spirited A Midsummer Night’s Dream. For most of the […]

Hamlet, directed by Mikko Viherjuuri. Tampere Theater, Finland, 8 May 2013. By Nely Keinänen. Mikko Viherjuuri’s Hamlet opens not with a voice calling out “Who’s there?” but with a scene Shakespeare didn’t write (yet composed of lines he did), a private moment between Hamlet, Ophelia and Laertes before they’re forced to join […]